


Until Eternity

by t_dragon



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-11
Updated: 2018-09-11
Packaged: 2019-07-11 01:06:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15961418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/t_dragon/pseuds/t_dragon
Summary: Is it a blessing or a curse to be able to reincarnate and meet your soulmate over and over again, when fate seems determined to rip you apart over and over again?





	Until Eternity

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on AFF May 6th 2017

_  As Baekhyun was being tied to the pole, he kept the stoic expression on his face. His body was trembling like a leaf, but he kept the expression firmly in place. He would not give these lying sons of bitches the satisfaction of seeing him panic. _

_  Even though this was one of his most violent deaths to date, Baekhyun knew it did not matter. He had no way of escaping it, and there would be another shot at another, hopefully better, life. _

_  The firewood was stacked around him, but Baekhyun refused to look at the preparations. He wanted this over and done with. _

_  Soon enough, it was lit, and flames slowly began licking at the wood, and Baekhyun. The smoke rose around him and his eyes began to tear up - the sob escaping his lips might have been caused by the smoke, or it might have been caused by the fear coursing strong through his body. _

_  This was it. He was about to burn for something he had not done. He was about to burn for angering the wrong people with too much power. If he had just kept his tongue in check… _

_  “Baek!” a voice suddenly called out, shaking Baekhyun from his inner thoughts. “Baekhyun!” _

_  Baekhyun blinked against the tears and smoke, squinting to see a familiar figure standing at the edge of the crowd. _

_  Chanyeol… _

_  His lover was held back by somebody, trying to break free and get to Baekhyun, but it was in vain. Another sob escaped Baekhyun’s parted lips, and this one sounded suspiciously like ‘Chanyeol’. _

_  Pain seared through his body as the flames engulfed his feet, slithering their way up his legs. Baekhyun let out a scream at the unfamiliar feeling, wiggling his body to try to get free, but it was no use. The fire ate its way through his skin and fat, down to the bone, and Baekhyun blacked out a number of times from the sheer pain of it. Every time he came back, he screamed, inhaling the black smoke, and the longer it went on, the harsher his coughs grew. Fat bubbled, blood ran and evaporated, and wood crackled. Everything else around him was silent. Not even the birds sang. _

_  Finally, his body shut down, and with the scream of his name on the plump lips of his lover, Baekhyun died. _

 

 Baekhyun shot upright, completely drenched in a cold sweat, fingers clawing at his throat and chest as he gasped for breath. His blanket was laying half on the floor, half on his legs, and the cold air nipped at his quickly cooling skin, making him shiver.

 Calming down, he dragged a trembling hand through his hair, making it stand at odd angles, but he did not care. He could not get the smell of burning flesh out of his nose, and he felt the bile rise in his throat. Shuddering, Baekhyun got up to pour himself a glass of water from the pitcher standing on the chest of drawers. Even though the liquid was a bit stale and almost lukewarm, it helped push his nausea back.

 It was not the first time this had happened. Or, well, it was the first time in this life, but not the first time for his soul. Dreams of his past lives - specifically past deaths - where something Baekhyun always went through. Between ages twenty-one and twenty-five, the dreams would come, along with the memories. He had lived too many lives to remember all of them, but the most memorable and the most recent he would get back.

 And the reason for why this was all happening. A reason that happened to be a person. A man.

 One man just as damned as he was…

 Looking out through the window, Baekhyun silently watched the skyline of London. The grey city looked exactly the same, but at the same time completely different.

 Did the dreams mean that he were close? That they would soon find each other again? Baekhyun’s entire body ached with the desire to be held once more; his soul had waited so many years for it. And maybe, this time, they would get more time together…

 Shaking himself from his feelings, Baekhyun emptied the glass, before setting it down and returning to bed. He had a lot of work to do tomorrow, and needed to be well-rested. He did not have the time to sit up all night, worrying about his curse. He had spent too many nights doing that already, and it never made any difference.

 Forcing himself to relax, Baekhyun soon began to drift off to sleep. Just before he completely succumbed, he heard a gentle whisper in his ear - a deep voice calling his name - and his lips turned up into a smile as darkness completely enveloped him.

 

 The next day was just the same as every other day of his current life - fabrics upon fabrics, patterns and sewing and dealing with customers. Baekhyun were a tailor, and with quite the good reputation. He was slowly working his way up to higher clientele, and had just managed to score the designing and sewing of a wedding dress for a lady of quite the high standing.

 That dress was what Baekhyun was working on, when the bell tinkled, letting him know that he had a new customer. Sighing, Baekhyun put down his needles and straightened out his clothes, before plastering a smile onto his face and heading out of his workshop.

 A tall man dressed in a light grey suit stood with his back against Baekhyun, looking at some of the dresses that were on display. Baekhyun felt a flutter in his stomach, but ignored it, instead clearing his throat.

 “Excuse me, sir?” Baekhyun asked, and the man turned around.

 And Baekhyun’s breath caught in his throat.

 He recognized this man. Those eyes, that smile, those  _ ears _ .

_ Chanyeol. _

 “Ah, yes, hello!” Chanyeol said, deep voice vibrating through Baekhyun’s body, before the tall man tilted his head. “Oh, you seem very familiar. Do I know you?”

 Chanyeol took three long strides, ending up right in front of the counter Baekhyun was standing behind. He leaned in, eyes squinting, as he took in Baekhyun’s face.

 “I could swear that I have seen you somewhere before…,” Chanyeol mumbled, and before Baekhyun could stop himself, he had leaned forwards, pressing his lips against the taller’s.

 Chanyeol was surprised at first, but did not pull back. Instead, he pushed forwards and tilted his head, deepening the kiss and sliding a hand behind Baekhyun’s neck to keep him in place.

 When they finally parted, they were both panting hard.

 “Baek?” Chanyeol whispered, and when Baekhyun looked up, there was another kind of light in the taller’s eyes.

 He remembered.

 Tears flooded Baekhyun’s eyes as he pulled the taller into a hug, the counter still between them.

 “Don’t cry, don’t cry, I’m here now,” Chanyeol whispered soothingly, rubbing the older’s back. “Baek, don’t cry…”

 After Baekhyun had calmed down, Chanyeol asked if he had the time to talk, and they relocated to the upper floors after Baekhyun closed the shop. The wedding dress would have to wait as Baekhyun got reacquainted with the love of his life. Well, the love of his  _ lives _ .

 They sat in silence in Baekhyun’s kitchen, just watching each other, drinking the other in. There was so much to say, but no need to speak, and it was so confusing but liberating at the same time.

 After some time, Chanyeol scooted his chair closer to Baekhyun’s, until their thighs were touching. Reaching up, Chanyeol gently placed his hand against Baekhyun’s cheek, and the older leaned into the touch, closing his eyes with a content sigh.

 “I’m sorry I couldn’t save you,” Chanyeol whispered, and Baekhyun smiled softly as he looked up at the taller again.

 “You couldn’t have done anything, Yeollie. Don’t be too harsh on yourself,” Baekhyun said, placing his own hand over the one on his cheek.

 Chanyeol cupped both of Baekhyun’s cheeks, leaning forwards until their foreheads were touching.

 “You were  _ burned at a stake _ , Baek, and I couldn’t do anything about it. Do you know how horrible it was to watch?” Chanyeol mumbled, breath washing over Baekhyun’s face and making him dizzy.

 Baekhyun gave a quiet chuckle. “Probably not as horrible as being burned at the stake.”

 Chanyeol’s eyes flew open as he stared down at Baekhyun in horror.

 “Lords, I didn’t think about that! I’m so, so sorry!”

 Baekhyun placed a finger over Chanyeol’s soft lips, silencing the younger.

 “Stop apologizing. I’m here and okay, with you, and that’s all that matters. Okay?”

 Chanyeol gave a crooked smile, nipping at Baekhyun’s finger.

 “Okay. I give in.”

 “Good,” Baekhyun said, wrapping his arms around Chanyeol’s neck. “How about you kiss me again?”

 Chanyeol grinned. “Kiss you again? It was you who kissed me!”

 “Shut up and kiss me,” Baekhyun growled, tugging on the taller, and with a grin, Chanyeol obliged.

 Because Chanyeol loved kissing Baekhyun, and who knew how much time they would get together this time? Might as well make the most of it.

 

 It was late evening when Baekhyun let Chanyeol out through the front of his shop, and the streets were almost completely deserted. With a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, Chanyeol leaned down for one last heated kiss, before pulling back and disappearing into the night.

 Baekhyun stood in the doorway, staring after the young man with a soft smile on his lips, his breathing seemingly so much easier. With a slight shake of his head, Baekhyun went back inside, pulling the door closed and locking it. Only a cold would come from standing in the draft like a lovesick puppy.

 But what Baekhyun failed to notice were the woman standing hidden in shadow on the other side of the road. Hand pressed over her mouth, she had been watching the entire exchange between the tailor and his lover. The tailor that were the biggest competition to her own husband.

 Turning on her heel, she quickly rushed off to find a constable and report what she had seen.

 

 Baekhyun were softly humming to a melody in his head as he was working with the wedding dress. He could not keep the smile off of his lips, and his heart felt as if it had wings. He was sure that this dress would be his next masterpiece, and knew that finding Chanyeol had a lot to do with it.

 Just as he was about to stitch one of the last details to the magnificent dress, the bell over his shop door tinkled, and Baekhyun jumped off of the stool he had been sitting on, rushing out into the shop.

 Maybe Chanyeol had decided to come by, not being able to stay away, Baekhyun thought to himself, a large grin stretching his lips.

 But he came to a stop, the smile completely wiped from his lips, as he noticed the two constables standing by the counter.

 “How may I help you?” Baekhyun asked politely.

 His stomach was knotting, a bad feeling rising like bile in his throat, but Baekhyun forced himself to take deep breaths to calm down.

 “Mr. Baekhyun Byun?” one of the constables asked, and Baekhyun nodded. “We received a report about you, concerning a crime against the Offences against the Person act. Would you please accompany us down to the station?”

 Even though it was formulated as a question, Baekhyun knew he had no choice. And Baekhyun knew what kind of crime he was accused of. A crime he had committed, incidentally, and that carried a horrible sentence.

 Surprisingly, the thought of what now awaited him settled Baekhyun with a strange calmness. After all, this was not the first time he was walking down to his death, nor would it be his last.

 “Of course,” Baekhyun said, cool smile on his lips as he reached for his coat, and pulled it on.

 The constables, apparently surprised by Baekhyun’s lack of panic, threw each other looks, before clearing their throats and heading towards the door. They waited as Baekhyun locked the door after they had stepped outside, and then they set out on their way again, one on either side of him.

 Down at the station, Baekhyun was quickly shuffled into a room, where a doctor soon joined him. After a humiliating scene of having to undress and be intimately examined to decide if he was guilty of sodomy, Baekhyun were left alone to drown in his own thoughts.

 He knew what was going to happen now. He would probably be deemed guilty by a judge and sentenced to death by hanging, but that was not what was worrying him. What  _ was _ worrying him, was if Chanyeol had also been charged and incarcerated. Baekhyun did not mind dying - he had done it so many times before - but he hated the though of knowing that Chanyeol was on his last breath as well.

_ One night _ , he though to himself as he dragged a hand through his already tousled hair, dry chuckle escaping his lips.  _ They had gotten only one night together this time. It had to be a record… _

 The next few days were a blur, spent between a jail cell and a courtroom, leaving Baekhyun frozen, starving and hardened. So many insults were thrown his way, so many looks of contempt, and it just made Baekhyun clench his jaw harder.

 As if every good deed he had done in his life was negated by the object of his desires. As if he could willingly change his tastes. As if he even had a say in anything at all. His and Chanyeol’s souls were intertwined, they were locked in a blessing feeling more like a curse, and there was nothing Baekhyun could do without it.

 Not that he wanted to. Once you got a taste of paradise, the ordinary world seemed awfully bleak. He just wished that he could get the chance to actually enjoy paradise fully, but Baekhyun knew that this was greedy thinking. What right did he have to complete happiness for the rest of his life? Instead, he got little snippets of happiness here and there, always ending in tragedy, but he did not mind.

 He snapped one day, the whispers becoming too much to bear.

 “They say he was talented, extremely so, but I wonder if he made a deal to acquire his talent,” they said. “And with his perverted hobbies, turning his back on God, it would not surprise me if he associates with the devil.”

 Baekhyun broke out laughing, but it was a dark sound.

 “I was burned at the stake for witchcraft two hundred years ago, but yet, here I am,” Baekhyun hissed, teeth bared. “Maybe I am an underling to the devil. Maybe I am here to taint and corrupt your minds, turning you from your beloved  _ God _ !”

 Two constables quickly hurried over and pulled Baekhyun from the booth he was standing in, and Baekhyun let them do it. He wanted to get away, to hide in his cell, and wallow in his sorrows.

 

 At one point, one of the constables came to Baekhyun’s cell, leering down at him.

 “Just wanted to let you know that we caught your  _ lover _ ,” the constable drawled. “Another yellow boy, you keeping it within your race? Better that than tainting British blood with your nasty business. Oh, don’t worry, he will surely join you in the noose, and you can meet again  _ in hell _ !”

 Baekhyun did not retort. Baekhyun did not even blink. He had become frozen, his blood like ice in his veins.

_ They caught Chanyeol. Chanyeol was going to die. _

 He could barely breath as pain surrounded his heart, making it clench to the point where he was sure he was going to die. But Baekhyun’s luck was not good, and he kept living, desperately gasping for air as tears stained his cheeks, grief and torment making his body tremble.

 

 The next time Baekhyun saw Chanyeol, was when they were taken to their execution. Being led side by side, ropes tied to their hands, they walked down the eerily quiet road. It was lined with people, but not a single sound permeated the serious atmosphere heavily weighing down upon them.

 Chanyeol looked so handsome still, even with tattered clothes and the lines of starvation etched into him, that Baekhyun’s heart skipped a beat. Jaw clenched, Chanyeol offered him a tight-lipped smile, and Baekhyun found strength in it, and the barely noticeable warmth radiating off of Chanyeol’s body.

 They were going to die, but at least they were there together. The thought was on both of their minds, and helped their feet keep moving all the way up to the gallows.

 As their crimes were being read, Baekhyun looked over at Chanyeol, locking gazes. So much to say, but no need to speak. They already knew everything there was to know, and even though they had barely known each other during this life, they had known each other for a hundred others, and that was enough.

 Not until the hoods were pulled over their heads, followed by the nooses, where their eye contact broken. Baekhyun took a shaky breath as he turned forwards, because no matter how many times he died, he  _ hated _ it. He busied his mind with every single time Chanyeol had told him that he loved him, closing his eyes against the rough material covering his face and reveling in old memories instead.

 The relief was momentary, though, because as soon as the trapdoor gave out and he plummeted to his death, Baekhyun’s eyes and mouth flew open, gasping as he teared up. The noose tightened around his neck until he came to an abrupt stop, his breathing cut off.

 Indeed, his luck was out, as his neck did not snap and offer him a quick death. Instead, his head began to pulsate dangerously as not only his oxygen but also blood was cut off, forcing him into a slow death. His body spasmed as it tried to find release from the pressure on his neck from the noose holding his entire body in the air, but there was no release. His vision slowly gave out as his brain began to shut down, and he wished he could say something to Chanyeol - anything, really - but not as strongly as he wished Chanyeol had had more luck, his larger body being heavier and maybe actually succeeded in snapping his neck, offering a quicker death.

 The pulsating in his head kept increasing and increasing, until Baekhyun was sure it would explode, but then, thankfully, darkness stole him away, his body giving out.

 

 Baekhyun flew upright, hand over his throat as he gasped for the breath he had been so desperate for all those years ago. Squinting, he looked around the dark room gently illuminated by the streetlights outside, and a feeling of security settled around him.

 Even though he knew there was no noose around his neck, and never had been in this life, Baekhyun could not shake the feeling of his throat feeling constricted. Like a phantom pain from his previous death, and he knew it would bother him for the rest of the night at least.

 Falling back against the pillows, Baekhyun sighed, thinking about his new life. It might not be as good as his last, and the unrest in the country might be on the increase, but Baekhyun did not think that it was too great of danger to himself right now.

 Or Chanyeol.

 Rolling over onto his side, Baekhyun thought about the poor man stuck in this with him, and what he could possibly be doing right now. Was he close? Was that why he had gotten the dreams?

 With a small smile gracing his lips, Baekhyun sincerely hoped so. He wished to be able to hold Chanyeol in his arms, and apologize for not being more careful in their last life. Maybe they could have avoided the death sentence all together, if Baekhyun had just been a bit more careful…

 

 A whole week went past without Baekhyun getting a sighting of Chanyeol, and he felt cheated at life. Normally, it would only take a day or two after the dreams before Chanyeol showed up, but the giant was nowhere to be seen.

 And at the same time, the unrest within the German empire grew. Hitler had taken power, and even though nothing radical had happened yet, it was simmering just below the surface, and everyone knew it. Baekhyun should maybe fear for his life, but his multiple deaths and reincarnations made him bold.

 The first time they met where at the middle of a field on a warm summer’s day. The sun was beating down upon them, sweat beading on their forehead as they just looked at each other. Baekhyun was too scared to make a move, not wanting to risk everything so fast, and Chanyeol could not get the nagging feeling of recognizing the short man in front of him out of his mind.

 When they finally opened their mouths to speak, they accidentally started at the same time, shocking a shaky laughter out of each other. After that, it was as if the ice broke, and they began talking. Of course, both being Asian in a European country, they had a lot in common, especially in how they were treated and looked upon.

 They were sitting beneath a tree, shaded from the sun, when Chanyeol broke the now comfortable silence.

 “I’m sorry, but are you sure we haven’t met before? You seem really familiar…,” the taller boy said, worrying his lower lip as confusion furrowed his brow.

 Baekhyun offered him a sad smile, before taking a deep breath.

 “I have a story to tell you, but I’m not sure if you will believe me. Can you at least do me a favor and listen to the end, no matter how ridiculous it seems?” Baekhyun asked, holding Chanyeol’s gaze with his own.

 Chanyeol gave a nod, already completely focused on the shorter man in front of him.

 Without thinking too much or too deep about it, Baekhyun told Chanyeol everything he could remember. From the deaths, to the reincarnations, to the dreams and to them, leaving nothing out. When he was done, silence one more settled around them, Baekhyun nervously playing with his hands as he watched Chanyeol from the corner of his eye, trying to gauge the younger’s reaction.

 “Well, that makes sense,” Chanyeol mumbled after a while, a tiny smile spreading on his lips.

 “Uh, what does?” Baekhyun asked, feeling completely lost.

 Chanyeol looked down at Baekhyun, grinning handsomely. “I now understand why I wanted to kiss you from the moment I saw you,” he explained, and Baekhyun’s breath hitched in his throat as a flush spread over his cheeks.

 In the shadow of a great oak, with the sun beating down on the landscape around them, they shared their first kiss of this life. And that oak became their secret meeting place, seeing as it was far from the villages they lived in, away from prying eyes.

 

 Baekhyun felt a giddiness run through him as he half ran, half skipped towards the oak. The rain had just started to drizzle lightly around him, but he did not care. A little water never killed anyone, right?

 As he got closer to the oak, he could already see the tall and lanky figure leaning towards it, and his heart soared. Coming to a stop, he looked up, soft smile on his lips.

 “Hi,” he mumbled, the air in his lung suddenly not enough.

 “Hi,” Chanyeol answered, soft eyes and soft grin, before he wrapped strong arms around Baekhyun and pulled him into a hug. “I’ve missed you…”

 Baekhyun said nothing, just breathing Chanyeol’s scent in. Strangely enough, it never changed, no matter what lifetime they were in. But Baekhyun did not mind - he loved the way Chanyeol smelled, looked, tasted…

 Yes, he loved everything about Chanyeol.

 A large hand cupped his cheek, tilting his head backwards, and Baekhyun gave a sigh as plump lips pressed against his own. If there was something he could never get enough of, it was Chanyeol’s kisses.

 The rain was coming down even heavier now, and even though they were slightly shielded by the tree, they were still slowly getting drenched. The water added another dimension to the kiss, and as Chanyeol tilted his head and deepened the kiss, tongue flicking out to run along Baekhyun’s lower lip, Baekhyun felt heat pooling in his stomach.

 Fisting his hands in Chanyeol’s jacket, Baekhyun rose onto the tip of his toes, pulling the taller closer shamelessly. Chanyeol did not mind, though, evident from how he was pressing Baekhyun closer, too, almost suffocating the shorter. Baekhyun paid it no heed, he just wanted to be  _ closer _ still.

 Because of their passion, the two interlocked men did not notice the soldiers getting closer until it was too late. Baekhyun gasped as he felt the barrel of a gun press into his back, freezing in Chanyeol’s embrace. The taller’s eyes widened as he pulled back, seeing the four weapon-carrying soldiers surrounding them.

 “Let go and step away from each other,” the soldier holding a gun to Baekhyun’s back roared over the sound of the rain.

 Baekhyun and Chanyeol did as they were told, holding their hands up. After a quick pat down, they were onto their knees, hands behind their heads.

 “Nasty yellowmen defiling God’s creation,” the first soldier sneered, pointing his gun at Chanyeol. “Homosexuality is a sin, and you pay for such a sin with  _ death _ !”

 A shot rang out, and the front of Chanyeol’s jacket quickly bloomed a deep red. Baekhyun’s body shuddered, ice spreading through his veins as if it had been him that had been shot.

 Quickly catching the other man before he could fall to the ground, Baekhyun’s hand fluttered over the oh so familiar face, desperation clear in his touch.

 “No… No, no, no!” he whispered, pressing his lips to the taller’s cold ones, willing life to flood into the cooling body.

 But it did not work, of course it did not bloody work! Baekhyun had just found him, and now here they were, fate taunting them by ripping them apart once more.

 “Baek…,” Chanyeol whispered through a blood-stained smile, before collapsing completely in the shorter’s arms.

 It took some time for the realization to really hit him, silent tears rolling down his cheeks. But when it did, Baekhyun let his head fall back, screaming out all of his anguish and pain, voice breaking as a second bullet put and end to his torture.

 

 Gasping, Baekhyun woke up, his cheeks wet. One of his most painless and fast deaths, but brutal in another way.

 Sobs wracking through his body, he did not realize someone was calling his name, until the grip around his shoulders tightened.

 “Baek! Calm down, it's okay, I'm here,” a low voice said, and Baekhyun opened his eyes to see a familiar, if a bit blurry, face hovering above him.

 “Yeollie,” Baekhyun breathed, not caring about how whiny he sounded as he reached up and wrapped his arms around broad shoulders. “Yeollie!”

 A bit surprised by the sudden hug, Chanyeol let go of Baekhyun’s shoulders, placing his underarms against the mattress to keep from falling and crushing the older beneath him. After a few minutes, his back began to protest, and as it seemed like Baekhyun’s crying was far from ceasing, Chanyeol simply climbed into the bed and laid down on his side, pulling the other into his embrace.

 Warm hands caressed his back as soft words caressed his ears, and Baekhyun began to calm down. When the last shudder had left him, Baekhyun unclenched the hands he at one unknown point had fisted in Chanyeol’s shirt.

 “I-I’m sorry,” he whispered, voice raw and hoarse. Scrubbing at his eyes, Baekhyun pulled back, but Chanyeol would not let him.

 Confused, he looked up at his previously best friend, now reincarnated lover. Sure, they had been friends in past lives before Baekhyun had remembered it all, but this time it was different. This time, they were closer.

 “It’s okay,” Chanyeol mumbled, one hand going up to stroke Baekhyun’s hair, and the smaller shivered at the touch. “Bad dream?”

 “The worse,” Baekhyun said, letting his eyes fall closed. After his breakdown, he felt strangely empty, and exhausted to the bone.

 “You wanna tell me about it?” Chanyeol asked. Even before Baekhyun opened his eyes, he could see the soft smile on the giant’s lips. “Must have been pretty horrible, considering you pulled me into bed…”

 Baekhyun’s entire face heated up at the teasing tone in Chanyeol’s voice and the grin on his face, and wiggling out of his embrace, he began to kick the taller out of the bed.

 “You don’t have to stay!” Baekhyun muttered, punctuating every other word with a kick.

 Chanyeol was laughing and  _ squealing _ as he tried to shield himself from the shorter’s vicious kicks - Baekhyun did after all have a black belt in hapkido. After some fumbling and some wrestling, Chanyeol managed to pin the elder beneath him, a strong hold on Baekhyun’s wrists above his head.

 “Calm down, Baek, I’m kidding,” Chanyeol grinned, looking down at the red-faced struggling mess beneath him. “It’s not like I mind comforting you, and you needed it. I’m your friend, of course I’ll climb into bed with you and hold you until you stop crying. Now, tell me what the dream was about, and please stop kicking. Your bony heels hurt!”

 Chanyeol let go of Baekhyun’s wrist, but stayed seated on his lap. More than a little embarrassed, Baekhyun turned his head to the side, putting on a serious pout.

 “I dreamt that you were killed…,” he muttered, not sure if Chanyeol could actually hear him or not.

 It seemed as if he could, though, since Chanyeol gave a snort. “Well, that explains why you were calling my name and clinging to me… So what? You’ve done it before and it’s never been this bad?”

 It took an embarrassingly long moment for Chanyeol’s words to penetrate Baekhyun’s mind, and then for him to make sense of them, but when they did, he turned his head to look at the taller with eyes almost popping out of their sockets.

 “Yo-you remember?” Baekhyun stuttered. “B-but… Why didn’t you tell me!”

 Chanyeol simply shrugged, looking unfazed. “I didn’t know what was wrong, though I thought it might be this. Better to let you tell me. That’s the way it usually is.”

 Baekhyun gasped so quickly that he choked on the air.

 “How could you remember before me?” he spluttered, fresh tears from the coughing fit in his eyes. “That has never happened before!”

 “Well…,” Chanyeol said, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck.

 Baekhyun’s hands shot out, fisting in Chanyeol’s shirt and pulling him down. Yelping, Chanyeol placed his hands on either sides of Baekhyun’s head as they came face to face.

 “What? You’ve remembered before me and never told me?!” Baekhyun hissed.

 At least Chanyeol had the decency to look a bit guilty about it.

 “Uh, yes, maybe. But! But. It wasn’t as if it would make a difference! Usually you would have the dreams soon after I remembered, and there would be no need for me to tell you!” Chanyeol explained. “Really, I promise. And most of the time, it’s you who have the dreams first.”

 Baekhyun calmed down a little, his hands relaxing around the fabric, before another though hit him and he squinted up at Chanyeol.

 “When did you remember this time?” Baekhyun asked in a low voice, and he could almost  _ hear _ Chanyeol gulping.

 “Uh… Since… It might have been around our debut…,” Chanyeol whispered, knowing it was futile to lie, but still hesitant to tell the truth.

 Baekhyun released Chanyeol, laying down fully and closing his eyes, slender fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. Chanyeol mentally counted the ten breaths Baekhyun took, not sure if they were actually helping or not.

 Without opening his eyes, Baekhyun began talking through gritted teeth.

 “So you’ve known that we’ve been lovers through  _ countless _ of lives since we  _ debuted _ ? You’ve known for  _ years _ , and not thought to tell me?  _ Why _ ?”

 Chanyeol moved off of Baekhyun’s thighs, sitting down on the bed instead and dragging a hand through his hair, heavy sigh on his lips.

 “Because I wanted this life to be different,” Chanyeol said. “How many times have we been ripped from each other because of our love? Sure, it’s a different time, people are more accepting, and if we grew up in Europe or the States, I probably would have told you immediately. But we didn’t. I didn’t want to destroy our careers and disappoint our families, when we have this shot at actually living happily ever after together. And I thought that since you didn’t have the dreams, maybe you weren’t ready for it yet…”

 Baekhyun slowly blinked his eyes open, taking in the man next to him. He understood where Chanyeol was coming from, and he understood the choice he had made. He hated it, but he understood. It would be nice to actually be able to live a full life together, and actually die peacefully from old age or something not so violent.

 With a low chuckle, Baekhyun sat up, impatiently shoving his hair out of his eyes.

 "Okay, okay, I see, I understand... I might not like it, but I understand...," Baekhyun said, smiling softly at the man in front of him. "We have to be careful this time around, then. More careful than we've ever been before. Let's make sure we have a long, happy life together."

 Chanyeol grinned back at Baekhyun, before pulling him into his arms.

 "Baek, let's get married. Even if we can't in South Korea, let's go to the US or something," Chanyeol whispered into Baekhyun's ear, and Baekhyun shuddered, smile stretching his lips. "I mean, we have to wait until our contracts expire and stuff, but let's get married later."

 Baekhyun tipped his head back to look up at Chanyeol. "Sure. Not the most romantic proposal, but anything for you, Yeollie."

 And before Chanyeol could go from handsomely grinning, to creepily grinning, Baekhyun leaned in and claimed those plump lips for the first time of this lifetime, but for the millionth time throughout their history.

 This time, it would work. This life would be perfect, and Baekhyun would make sure of it. Because he was tired of dying, and he was tired of losing Chanyeol over and over again, and he just wanted  _ one _ life together for them. And for the first time in so many years that he could not even begin to count, Baekhyun had a feeling that everything would work out, that was not laced with a feeling of doubt.

 This was it.

 This was their time.

 And with a happy giggle, Baekhyun let Chanyeol flip him down on his bed, knowing that as long as they were careful, they would not have to worry. It was a refreshing feeling, and Baekhyun loved it.

 Almost as much as he loved the man smothering him in kisses.


End file.
